Cessna 177 accident near Versailles, Ohio, June 14, 1996
On June 14, 1996 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N3197T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Versailles, Ohio (Darke County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel consumption calculations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 1996 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Versailles, Ohio · Darke County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N3197T · registry record · serial 17700497
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following a touch and go landing at about 200 feet agl, the engine lost power, the FAA check pilot took the controls and landed the airplane on the remaining runway but ran off the end causing substantial damage to the airplane. Examination of the wreckage found the fuel tanks intact and the fuel caps secure. However, there was no fuel found in the fuel tanks, sumps, or fuel lines from the tanks to the emergency shut off, nor was their any evidence of a fuel spill reported by the State Police or the FAA. A subsequent interview with the pilot by the FAA found that he believed he had flown about 3.5 hours since last fueling up. However, a review of the pilot's log books found that he had flown 4.2 hours. The FAA stated that when the pilot was confronted with this information he realized that he had run out of fuel.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 19, 1995; 1,085 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: VES
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.